Pneumatic shock-absorbing device particularly applicable to vehicles.



E. B. KILLEN. PNEUMATIC SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE T0 VEHICLES.

Patentedv oct. 17,1916.'

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. I9I5. 1,201,593.

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E. s. KILLEN. PNEUMATIC SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE PARTICULARLYCAPPLICABLE T0 VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FlLED MAY 6. I9l5.

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E. B. KILLEN. PNEUMATIC SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE APPL'CM'ON FILED MAYS ,915.

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e. KILLEN. PNEUMATIC SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE T0 VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYi.` I9I5.

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E. B. KILLEN.

A A PNEuMATlc sHocK Asome DEvlcE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE To'vEHlcLEs. 1,201,593.

APPLICATION FILED MAYB, 1915,

Patentd C. 17, 1916.

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E. B. KILLEN. PNEUMATIC SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE T0 VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, |9I 5- 1 ,201 ,593. Patented Oct. 17, 1916.-

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EDW'ARD BRICE KILLEN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PNEUMATIC SHOCK-ABSORBING DEVICE PARTICLARLY APPLICABLE TO VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Y Application filed May 6, 1915. Serial No. 26,409.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD BRICE KIL- LEN, of 27 Queen Victoria street, London, England, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Pneumatic Shock-Absorbing Devices Particularly .Applicable to Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pneumatic shock absorbing devices particularly applicable to vehicles.

At present existing laminated steel spring suspensions are designed to bear the maximum load or shock put on a vehicle and are therefore much too stiff Vwhen the veliicle is carrying a light load which in com' mercial vehicles (where there is a great difference in weight between a vehicle running light and fully loaded) makes the laminated spring practically inoperative when the vehicle is empty or slightly loaded. It has been founcf impossible to design a steel spring of such periodicity so as to correspond with the rapid succession of impacts which a fast car has to over-ride.

According, however, to my invention I use, as a shock absorbing medium, an air re-.

taining cover with one or more attachment base-beads, each bead having a hooking heel and a keyable extended toe. The extended toe enables a permanent airtight joint to be formed on each base-bead by jamming the rubber toe tightly against a hooking metal boss-part formed on an air retaining plate, by means of an endless flanged metal attachment ring device with bolts and nuts, the stems of which bolts pass through the endless flanged metal attachment ring device, the hooking heel of each base-bead and the air retaining metal plate, thereby jamming the rubber toe under great compression between the hooking metal boss-part of the air retaining plate and the endless flanged metal attachment ring device, and at the same time automatically locking the bolts and nuts in their position against vibration. It is to be noted that the attachment of the air retaining cover to the air retaining metal plate forms an airtightjoint and is quite independent of any other airtight joint formed by means of an extra air retaining bag. 'Ihe buffer device with its air retaining plate is used as an auxiliary pneumatic spring for absorbing many shocks which cannot be' absorbed by means of steel springs, and by meanspf my pneumatic buffer device I obtain a saving in wear and I to be utilized under many varying pressures c in such a mannerl that said air may be quickly and automatically densified under varying loads as and when required, without'developing serious friction or heat. This pneumatic buffer device ,when suitably and airtightly attached is always self-adjusting. Y

I am aware that it has been proposed to combine existing laminated springs with pneumatic suspensions, which have auxiliary means for adjusting air pressures in* side saidy suspensions to enable the pneu- `matic suspensions to carry loads in excess of the minimum load for which the laminated springs were designed. My invention, however, utilizes a pneumatic self-adjusting shock absorbing device with existing laminated springs without using any auxiliary or mechanical means for densifying the ai'r inside the pneumatic buffer.

My construction is as follows: In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into effect, I have hereunto appended six sheets of drawings, of which, v

Figure l is a sectional elevation of a pneumatic shock absorbing device having a pneumatic tube ring manufactured liomo geneously of rubber, thek said ring being compressed by means of a plunger and spindle attached by a shackle to one end of the laminated steel spring of a motor chassis, the whole device being rigidly attached to the chassis frame. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a device similar to Fig.v 1,' shown in detail in separate parts but having its pneumatic tube ring manufactured of fabric and rubber. It may also have an inner tube. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of Fig. 1. Fig.

4 is a plan of the flanged metal ring device for attaching the pneumatic tube rings to their base plates. Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 show sectional elevations of various forms of pneumatic buffer devices, each device hav ing an air retaining cavity stud or buer 5. :n

cover with one or more attachment beads, each bead being constructed with hookable heels and a continuous keyable extended toe, and is capable of being airtightlyattached under great compression to an air retaining 'stud or buffer cover to an air retaining metal or other plate under great compression. Fig.

11 is a sectional elevation of one form of a pneumatic stud buffer applied to the. `center of the front laminated steel spring of a chassis. Fig. 12 is a transverse section of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a similar view to Fig.

r11 showing the application of one form of a pneumatic stud buii'er to the center of the rear spring of a chassis. Fig. 14 is a transverse section of Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a sectional elevation of a pneumatic shock obsorbing device having a pneumatic stud buiier attached to a ixed plunger and vspindle and surrounded by a cylindrical casin'gwhich cylindrical casing may reciprocate upon the said plunger and spindle. Fig. 16 is a sectional elevation of a larger apparatus using two pneumatic stud buffers. Fig. 17 is an outside elevation of Fig. 15 showing its attachment to the chassis'and laminated steel spring. Fig. 18 is a sectional elevation of a fabric and rubber air retaining cover used with or without an internal air bladder and securely fixed to top and bottom rocking plates, which plates are pivoted to the chassis, the whole forming a pneumatic shackle. Fig. 19 is an elevation of Fig. 18.

With this invention I construct what I call 4a pneumatic buffer device A which is the combination of a sealed air retaining cover, an air retaining metal plate or plates and an endless attachment metal ring device or devices each say having three or four bolts and nuts, the stems of which bolts pass through the endless attachment metal ring device, the hooking heels of the base-beads, and the air retaining metal plate. The air retaining cover C or CC, D o r DD, E or EE, may be constructed in any suitable or wellknown shape provided it is formed having attachment beads, each bead being constructed having hooking heels through which the bolt stems may pass and a keyable extended toe capable of mechanically forming air-tight attachment joints.

The airretaining cover may be a tube ring air cover C or CC (see Figs. 1, 2, 3) having base beads C2, C9, and CC2, C 9 formed with heels C, CG and CC5, CCG, and toes C7, CS and CC7, CCS, capable of being airtightly attached to an air retaining metal plate G by means of an attachment ring device F with bolts and nuts H (see Figs. 1,

2, 3, 4) or the air retaining cover may be a cavity stud air cover D or DD (see Figs. 5 and 6) having beads D2, or DD2- formed with heels D5, or DD5, and toes D7 or DD7, capable of being airtightly attached to an air retaining metal plate G1 by means of an attachment ring device F with bolts and nuts H (see Figs. 5 6 and 9-10) or the air retaining cover may be a cavity buffer air cover E or EE, and capable of being formed into a pneumatic shackle ES or EES ter part of a laminated spring (see Figs. 11,

12, 13, 111), and when attach the pneumatic buffer device A to a chassis trame Yabove the center part of a laminated spring 1' may reduce the stiffness oi' the laminated spring by taking away one or more spring leaves so as to make the laminated spring sensitive to carry the minimum load, (see Figs. 11 and 13) which show the spring leaves to be taken away in dotted lines, and also show how l make use of my buffer flevice A to carry all loads over the minimum i' load. This rearrangement of the existing laminated steel spring suspension of a car or chassis in combination with my pneumatic buiier device A enables the steel spring suspension to be made sensitive under a minimum axle load, which steel spring suspension is strong enough when used in combination with the pneumatic buffer device A to carry efficiently and sensitively all axle loads over the minimum and up to the maximum load without interfering with the springs range of movement. The attachment of the pneumatic buffer device A to a bracket on the chassis when the steel suspension is properly re-arranged enables a car or chassis to be sensitively sprung under a light as well as under a heavy axle load, and when attached it prevents many steel springs from being broken when subject to excessive road shocks and also tends to prevent the overturning of a car traveling at high speeds around a sharp corner, because the pneumatic buffer device A under such circumstances automatically strengthens the suspension and enables it to take the excessive shock. Y

rThe attachment beads C2, C9, or CC2, CCD

Yof the air retaining tube ring covers C or CC (see Figs. 1, 2 andv3) are preferably manufactured of rubber or rubber and fab- -ric being molded or constructed fairly thick and formed on one side of lthe .tube cover instead of on its inner circumference kto enable the tube ring air covers to be greatly distorted lhorizontally without developing objectionable friction underl severe work, or the tube ring Vmay be manufactured homogeneous from rubber without using fabric or cord in its construction forming a tube ring air cover CC (see Figs. l. and 3, 'Sheet 1).

My pneumatic buffer device Amay rbe formed from one pneumatic cavity stud air cover D1 having a rubber attachment base bead D2 (see Fig. 15)., or two cavity stud air covers D3, D4, `(see Fig. 16) may besuitably placed or molded one on top of the other each pneumatic cavity stud air cover D3, D4, having inside it when` in action a suitable air density which makes each cavity stud'capable of supporting the varying loads put upon them under severe road work with-v out becoming permanently distorted, the load carried automatically lreducing the cubic air'spaces B and 'BB vwithin the pneumatic cavity studs D1, D3, D4, (see Figs. 15 and 16). may be attached to an .-air retaininglplate which I call plunger M, by means of a metal ring device FF enabling the cavity stud air cover D1 or D3 to be formed into a pneumatic buffer device A Vand be attached to the end of a laminated spring of say a motor vehicle by means of a metal tube casing or frame K (see Figs 15, 16 and 17) which surrounds and `protects vthe pneumatic buffer device or devices A, the metal tube casing K having a fixed but easily detachable top K1 and bottom K2 and of such dimensions, shape and construction that objectionable friction does not take4 place between the pneumatic buffer device or devices A and the inner circumference of the metal tube casing K when the pneumatic buffer device A is being greatly distorted or flattened by carrying a heavy load or by receiving a great shock and the pneumatic buffer device or devices A may pneumatically float the -metal tube casing K allowing it to reciprocate quickly as and when required, under varying shocks. vWhen the metal tube casing or frame K is used I may use a suitable say fixed spindle L and air retaining plate plunger M on which the said metal tube casing or frame K may reciprocate. The top end L1 of the spindle L outside the metal tube casing or frame K may be attached to say a xed chassis bracket or t0 an auxiliary chassis frame spring P (used instead of the fixed bracket) the spindle L passing through a suitable bearing R in the detachable top K1 of the metal tube casing K and the bottom end L2 of the spindle L which is inside the metal tube frame K may be suitably attached to the guiding plunger M and a sec- The pneumatic studs D1 or D3V ond or vdouble pneumatic cavity stud D4 `see Fig. 16) may be easily lattached by a lmetal 'ring device `FF1 to the inside of :the detach- Vhenattaching the reciprocatingpneumatic casing K, I may use :an attachment metal band or strap T lha-ving vits two .lends T1," T2. car-ried by the Ibolt T3 which also :carries the end `of the laminated.spring,the metal band or strap 1T beingfsecurely attached to the metal tube casing K, (see Figs. ,1.5, 16and 17.)

The pneumatic vbufferfdeviceA Ymay also be manufactured in the form of a cavity bulfer aircover E or EE (see Figs. 7, S8, 18 and 19) having an `open hole in both its :top E1 and bottomE6 ends, and in constructing the cavity buffer EE, I may l.use fabric lor cord and rubber, or rubber only. r[he air in the covers E and EE is densiliedv as and when required With every increase of load lby the cubic air space lof the airtight :chambers :Band BB `(see Figs.-y 7 and 8) 'being` reduced. The cavity. form of buffer air cover E or EE which isspeciallysuitalble `for light cars is ,preferablyv manufactured interchangeable with the metal air retainlng :plates and,v attachment `ring .devices so that either form .0f air cover E or EE AmaV G2 may -be'manufactured into what I `call rocking ,plates Grs and G11 thereby enabling this pneumatic cavity .buffer E or-EE to beV spring end by another bolt or pin EE6 andy on which bolts or pins EE1 and EE6 my pneumatic shackle ES or EES rocks, and when Wanted the two rocking metal plates G8 and G9 may be mechanically attached by four metal hinged straps G10, G11, (G12 not shown in drawings) and G13, and by say siX bolts or pins G14, G15, G16, G17, G18, G1", thereby giving lateral stability to my pneumatic shackle ES or EES Without interfering with the vertical compression of the pneumatic cavity buffer. In my pneumatic buifer device A, I may, if required, use a suitable inner air tube V, (see Fig. 2) or bladder V1, (see Figs. 6, 8 and 18).

-be used. The top plate G1 vand `rbottom :plateJ It is to be specially noted that by means the suspension being never inoperative and always self-adjusting.

Vhen attaching my pneumatic shock absorbing device A to a chassis, I preferably use a suitable bracket attachment which enables it to be attached to the chassis without making practically any alteration on the chassis frame so that a special bracket is not required for every make of chassis, and thisvbracket may be either part of or attached to the air retaining plate G1 when the pneumatic shock absorber is attached ':direct to the chassis frame (see Figs. Il, 12,

13 and 14).

I may attach my pneumatic buffer device A to the frame of a-car, vehicle, or to a chassis in any well-known manner ,and when necessary above the end of a cantaliver spring by means of attachment brackets, and at the saine time reduce the stiffness of the cantaliver spring by taking away one or more of its leaves making the cantaliver` spring sensitive to carry the minimum load, the pneumatic buffer device or DD (see Figs. and 6) coming into action and carry-` ing the loads over the minimum and up to the maximum, thereby re-arranging a cantaliver spring so as to make it sensitive and eiiicient under bothilight and heavy loads.

`By means of this invention, I am able to use a self-adjusting medium, namely, a very resilient pneumatic buffer .device A which has a great speed of recovery to damp out or absorb the oscillations and vibrations which.

occur with all the existing laminated spring suspensions in .a manner lwhich no combinaportion to receive said toe, an endless' anged attaching device engaging said heel., and fastening` means for holding said bead under compression between said plate and attaching device. i

2. A self-adjusting pneumatic buffer device comprising` an air retaining cover hav- 'ing an attachment bead formed with a heel and a'toe, an air retaining` plate having a portion to receive said toe, an endless Hanged attaching device engaging said heel, and bolts passing through said plate, heel, and attaching device for holding said bead under compression between said plate and attaching device.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD BRICE KILLEN.

Nitnessesz JOI-1N LIDDLE, JOHN TRAIN LIDDLE.

Copies-of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

